Washing machine



Maldl 5 1940 F. KELLERMANN WASHING MACHINE Filed NOV. 8, 1937 7 Sheets-Sheet l March 5, 1940- F. KELLERMANN WASHING 'MACHINE v'sheets-sneet 2 Filed Nov. 8, 1937 TTORNEYt WASHING MACHINE Filed NOV. 8, 1937 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 @l I69 m uw gg A Y INVENTOR. 50a BY FAQ/X /ffW/V,4Af`/ TTORNEY.

Maren 5, 1940.

F. KELLERMANN WASHING MACHINE '7 Sheets-Sheet `4 Filed Nov. 8, 1957 ATTORNEY.

March 5, 1940.

F. KELLERMANN WASHING MACHINE Fild Ndv. s. 1937 7 sheets-sheet 5 ATTORNEY.

lBY

F. KELLERMANN WASHING MACHINE March 5, 1940.

Filed Nov. 8, 1937 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTOR. FAQ /X A/ [FM4/ws;

ATTORNEY.

March 5 1940- F. KELLEMANN 2,192,317

WASHING MACHINE Filed Nov. 8, 1937 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 5, 1940 UNETED STA-'EES Pneu rr WASHING MACHINE Felix Kellermann, Bronx, N. Y.

Application 6 Claims.

This invention relates to home laundry equipment, and more particularly to washing machines having washing agitator and connected clothes dewatering-mechanism.

- The invention broadly liesv in the concept of a practical and eilicient washing machine which is stationary and has direct water supply and drain connections as part of the house plumbing; lthe invention also contemplates improvements in the design of a combination agitator and wringer mechanism adapted for association with installed washtubs and with those having the aforementioned plumbing connections.

Diierently expressed, the invention according to one aspect has to do with an improved vconstruction of a home washing machine in its totality; and according to another aspect it has to do with improvements adapted to permit an existing or installed washtub to be converted into a washing machine of certain desirable characteristics; another aspect is that of space saving.

;.wringer type, the tub has disposed'at its side a wringer post which is operatively connected withthe agitator drive mechanism, and because o'f its location underneath the tub the mechanism may herein be called the underslung type.

The movable unit requires bothersome hose connections for water supply and drainage, and ,an additional pump for lifting the drainage liquid to the level of an available sink to gain discharge by way of the house plumbing, and this again necessitates moving the machine about and near to a sink; and it also requires a loose cable connection for the motor.

A washing machine installed according to this invention. will eliminate potential dripping, leakage, spilling and other inconveniences attendant to the manipulation, operation, function, and up keep of the aforementioned connections as required in the movable standard unit. Such an installation also avoids potential danger or injury to the operator's toes, which danger, is 'present every time that the relatively heavy movable unit November 8, 1937, Serial No. 173,301

must be rolled to the place where the aforementioned connections must be made' or the machine be used. An installation according to this invention furthermore avoids the phenomena of vibrations, undesirable of themselves and liable to 5 cause a movable machine, especially when filled with water and with wash, to shift bodily from its place of operation as a result of its own vibratory-impulses, this being aggravated by any slight slope found to exist in the floors. When l0 unattended the movable unit thus lled and loaded may gather momentum suicient to result in harmful` collision or injury to children or the like.

Further objects are to produce a mechanism 15 through which an installed washtub can be converted into a washing machine of certain desir' able characteristics; to design mechanism which is convenient to be so installed with a minimum of labor, and substantially without requiring dis'- 2b turbance, relocation, or removal of 'an existing washtub or of its plumbing connections and appurtenances; and which mechanism can be installed with advantage in crowded or somehow obstructed locations and localities;

and Which 25 mechanism is capable of diverse adjustments in View of variant tub dimensions and styles.

Another object is to save the space normally occupied by a standard movable washing machine in'homes with washtub installation. 30

Still other objects are to produce a washing machine which is highly practical and eflicient as well as sightly, and which in the last analysis is relatively inexpensive.

Some of these objects are realized in a washing machine construction-in which a washtub or similar vessel is directly connected with the plumbing and which has in direct association, or directly united therewith, a suitably constructed combination agitator and clothes wringer mech- 40 anism of the underslung type that leaves the top of the machine free, substantially unencumbered, and otherwise useful.

In the case of an installed washtub, in order to convert the same, a suitable hole is provided or conditioned substantially inthe center portion of the tube bottom, permitting 'the insertion therethrough and mounting of the agitator arbor.

Furthermore,v the mechanism is sectionalized; that is to say, divided into separately mountable sections, and otherwise constructed'to meet requirements of adaptation and of adjustment under diverse conditions of tubinstallations.

The mechanism herein more specifically referred to is a washing agitator-cloths wringer and rmly co combination as exemplified by one comprising three main operating sections; to wit an upright agitator varbor section; an upright wringer post,-

disturbing' the setting of the tub or its plumbing connections. The assembly completed, the sections will constitute lfa construction supported at two points from the tub, namely, from the center of the bottom and from the margin of the tu cted vwith the tub.

According 'to another feature av combination agitatorfwringer mechanism is designed to permit association thereof with an installed tub so that the wringer postI can be placed` optionally at either side ofthe tub.

Other features have to do with more specic requirements of adjustability of the mechanism` relative to the tub, and with requirements of adaptability with respect to obstructions.,

`n one embodiment the agitator-wringer mechanism comprises at least twoindividual although rigidly inteiconnectable main component se'ctions which when assembled upor the tub are comparable to a U-shaped construction of which one upright shanky (agitator arbor) is mounted in the tub bottom, while the other upright shank (wringerposti finds support by engaging or reaching over the top edge. portion of the tub. Adjustment means permit to vary vthe effective length of veither of the upright shanks with re- SlJectto the tub.4 'Ihe effective distance between the agitator arbor and the wringer post is also variable andadjustable with respect to thetub.

Auxiliary clamping means provide additional all around structural stabilization between mechanism and.tub. The conventional washtub in-A stalled has a squaretop portion, and the present mechanism is capable of angular adjustment about 'the `tub center, thus permitting to t one and the same mechanism to tubs of moderately diiering widths. The construction allows for positioning the wringer post optionally at either side of the tub, although intermediate positions are considered to be possible, depending upon local conditions or preference; the character of the construction also provides for clearance of existing drain 4connections and other obstruc` tions, and is thus designed to-render unnecessary the disconnection or relocation of existing drains. In the spirit of this. invention also, a clutch for disconnecting the agitator shaft is arrangedand constructed to permit manipulation thereof from both sides of the mechanism.

'Ihe invention possesses other objects and fea-.-

tures of advantagesome of which with the-foregoing willl be set forth in the following description. In the following description and in the claims, Parts will, be lidentied by s'pecic names for convenience, but they are intendedl to be asr generic in their application to similar parts as the art will permit. 1in the accompanyingvr drawupon a tub, showing i 2,192,317 Y f ings'there has beenl illustrated'the best embodiment of the invention known to me. but such embodiment is to be regarded as typical only of many possible embodiments, and the invention is no t to be limited thereto.

'I'he novel features considered lcharacteristic of my invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and its method of operation, .together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood from the following description of aA specic embodiment when read in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a part-sectional elevation of a combination agitator-wringer mechanism assembled example features of howto sectionalize the mechanism into components of assembly.

Fig. 2 is an end view of the mechanism of Fig.

v1 showing relation to anadjacent drain connection.

Fig. 3 is a schematic plan view indicating range of angular adjustability of 'the mechanism relative to the tub, and.`r illustrating tentative clear-I ance relation between the mechanisml and an adjacent drain connection.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 1, lexcept for a modified showing of the means of lsectionalization.

Fig. 5 is a side view of themechanism shown in Fig.- 4. i

Fig. 6 is a bottom view of the mechanism shown Iin Fig. 5 and 4 respectively. Fig-7 is a detail viewof a part that serves in connecting the agitator arbor section with the drive mechanism proper. I Fig. 8 shows the mechanism of Fig 1 with assembly sections drawn apart, to wit: anagitator arbor section, a wringer post 'sectiom and drive mechanism for both. v .i

Fig. 9 .shows the modied mechanism of Fig.

v.als

4 with assembly sections drawn apart in a fashy ion somewhat similar to .that of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 illustrates a construction of the mech:

- anism capable of assembly in a manner different from that villustratedin Figs. 8 and 9. i

The agitator-wringer lmechanism v,of Fig. 1 is herein shown to be associated, connected or united with a washtub I0 having a bottom porr.tion II and sides I2, which tub may'be of the,

square type made of porcelain or the like`and usually found installed in homes or intended for home installation in operative connection with the plumbing.

The agitator-wringer mechanism is a structure of what is herein said to be the underslung type due to the location of the driving mechanism below the tub, and of generally U-shaped appearance and which is roughly constituted of two up-4 right sections A and B, and a transverse section C; in other words: an agitator section A, a wringer post section B, and a drive mechanism C.

The agitator section A operates to oscillate a bladed 'washing agitator member- I3 (shown in dotted lines) surrounding and fitting over 'a tubular member or agitator arbor I4, although driven by the top'end portion I5 of an oscillate;-

Ible agitator shaft I6. l,The arbor Il has a flange or shoulder I1 resting upon the inner bottom face of the tub by w'ay of gasket I8, and it furthermore has an externally threaded ,portion I! extending through ahole 2l in tub bottom.

From below the tub bottom a flange member 2l engages over the threaded portion I9 andby Way of gasket 22 or the like it sets against the lower side of the tub b'ottom. The flange member 2i has retaining means. such as a split ring 23 and bolts 24, for connection with the drive l 5 lgear section C. The drive gear section may be of any suitable construction and it may comprise whatever structural component portions or sections should appear desirable. The drive gear section is here shown to comprise a skelel0 tonor baseor casing construction indicated by the numeral 25. -The gearing proper is shown to comprise a bevel gear 2 6 potentially slidable upon the lower free end of the agitator shaft I6; a companion bevel gear 21 fixed upon a horizontal gear shaft 28; a bevel gear 29 fixed kupon the opposite end of the shaft 28; an up and down reciprocable gear sector 30 meshing with bevel gear 29 and driven through a connecting rod 3| from an eccentric point 32 on a worm gear 33 rotated lby ya worm 34 loosely mounted on a shaft 35 driven by electro-motivating means or a motor 36. The casing construction 25 more specifically isl shown to have an angular neck portion 31 which accommodates `the bevel gears 26 and 21, gear 26 having a bearing or seat 31a in the -neck portion 31, and to have positioning or sustaining means such as a lug or protrusion 38 rising from a cover plate 39, which latter forms a removable sloping bottom for the neck portion 31. rThe horizontal 'gear shaft 2t has its bearings at 39 and it in the casing construction'f'and the gear sector 36 is pivoted therein at 4I, the worm gear 33 lat 42, and the motor 36 is mounted to and suspended 55 from a flange portion 43 forming the lower or bottom part of thecasing construction.

It will be noted that the mounted construction as described has a two-point support with respect to the tub, namely, from the central pordo tion of the bottom and from the margin of the tub, and that the driving mechanism of section C and motor are firmly held between these two points of support.

. The casing vconstruction 25 has connected.

with it the wringer post section B by way of bearing orbracket portions 44 and 45, the bracket portion 45 in fact to constitute the housing for a worm gear 46 driven from the motor 36 through shaft 35 and a worm 41.

or housing portion 45 is shown to have a depending pocket 48 to accommodate the lower free end of awringer shaft 49 which is slidably adjustable in the worm gear 46 for reasons hereinafter. to be described.

Aside from the wringer shaft 49 just mentioned, the wringer post section B is 4shown to' comprise a tube member 5i) `which 'may be adjustably clampedas at 5i in order to be fixed in the vbracket portion 45 which serves as its o0 footing. The tube member 50 has at vthe upper end 'thereof 'a bracket 52 adiustably. clamped thereto as indicated at`53, which bracket has a hook portion 54 to engage over the top edge portion of the tub. A clamping jaw 54 is adjustably clamped vupon the wringer post at a point intermediate its ends, and adapted to \en gage uponA the underside of the tub for all around stabilization lof -the mounting if desired. A wringer head proper, fractionally shown at 55, is removably attached to the topend portion of the wringer shaft V49 and'can be functionally disconnected from the drive by suitable means not shown.

In order to functionally disconnect the agitau tor from the drive mechanism'a .clutch device The bracket 561s shown whereby the loosely mounted worm 34 can be connected with, or disconnected from,- the motory driven shaft 3.5. The arrangement ofV the clutch device is such that it can -be manipulated from either side of the gear section-C. 5 Fig. 2 is an end view of the mechanism from the motor end thereof and it illustrates a structurally well-balanced arrangement, and which is laterally compact enough to avoid interference with adjacent drain connections such as indi- 10 cated at 51 and found to exist in home tub installations to which a mechanism of this type is potentially to be applied. It also illustrates a.

certain symmetry and compactness of the mechindicated by the arm 53, while clearing a drain 25 connection indicated at 59. It also appears that tubs of the square type and of moderately differing widths can be fitted with the same size agitator wringer mechanism by reason of such angular adjustment as is illustrated by the in- 3o' dication (i'n dot and dash) of a slightly wider tub in Fig. 3.

Figs. 4 to '7 show a drive mechanism similar to the one shown in Fig. 1, although modied with respect to parts which connect the arbor 65 section with the drive mechanism and with respect to the mode of inter-connection. There is again shown a motor 6i), driving a worm 86aV over a clutch device Si, the worm meshing with a worm gear 62 from which a connecting rod or n link 63 imparts up and down reciprocating movement to a gear sector 34 meshing with a bevel gear y65 iixed ona horizontal shaft 66 the other end of which has xed thereto a bevel gear 61 meshing with a companion bevel gear 'shown 45 to be fixed upon the lower end of an agitator shaft 69 extending into and through an agitator arbor 1E which latter is of a construction substantially as described in` connection with Fig. l

and having an exteriorly threaded portion 12.

Motor and gears just enumerated in Fig. .4 are cooperatively combined by means of 'a base or casing construction" as shown and which is similar to the one' described in Fig. 1, except for a modiiication which les in the construction of aY 55 cylindrical neck portion 13 constituting a clamping ring having a clamping bolt 14 (see Fig. 6), and which tightens around a cage member 15 having cutouts 15 a and engaging -upon the threaded portion 1 2 -"f the agitator arbor, and 60 has a gasket 16 interposed between it and the tub bottom. The threaded arbor portion is shown to engage upon a shoulder or ledge 11,- formedv interiorly ofthe cage-member 15. A de tail of the eage member 1 5 is shown in Fig. '1455.

to say, subdivided into component sections that are 'conveniently and separately mountable upon the tub into a rigid assembly with one another and with the tub. y f

Accordingly, Figures 8 and 9 show phantom views of the vmechanism of Figs. I and 4 re' spectively, with component sections and parts' tentatively drawn apart to illustrate various ways of their prospective assembly with one another andwith the tub. and for convenience. identical parts are designated by identical numeral/sas between Fig. l and Fig. 8, and between Fig. 4 and Fig. 9 respectively. According to the invention one or more divisions into component sections may be made in the mechanism wherever feasible or desirable, and in a manner to permitsection-v wiseassembly without encountering obstructions from an vexisting tubl installation for instance l from supporting means such as the legs 8| thereof or otherwise. i

Accordingly, an arrangement of component sections in Fig. 8 comprises substantially the agitator arbor s ection A, the wringer post section B, and the drive mechanism C. The mode of assembly is substantially self-explanatory from Fig. 8, although it can be said that for instance sections Bfand C may be pre-assembled or interconnected per se, then to be connected with section A upon the tub; or else arbor section Amay be mounted rst in self-sustained position with the aid of flange 2|, with sectios C and B either individ ually or. jointly to follow.

Fig. 9 is to illustrate modes of sectionwise assembly of the mechanism shown in Figures 4 to' 7. Again, the sections A, IB and C constitute Atentative individual sections by virtue of which interference with .obstructions due to an existf ing tub 'installation can be avoided'. For the sake of illustrating various'modes and systemsof assembly the agitator arbor in section A has its ange or shoulder fashioned as a removable nut 82. In this instance some of the potential modes of assemblyare: rst, to mount section A -together with nut 82 and cage member 15 (see Fig. 7) letting sections C and B follow individually or jointly; or to pre-assemble sections A and C without nut 82, then inserting agitator arbor from below through hole in tub and securing with nut 82, whereupon the-mounting of section B (wringer `post) may follow; or else sections B and C are` pre-assembled and positioned upon the tub, whereupon the arbor section A- with shoulder or nut -82 thereon is inserted from above through. hole 82 and screwed into section C.

` In distinction from the modes of sectionwise assemblyillustrated in Figures '8 and 9, there isshown in Fig. "10 asomewhat modied 'construction to illustrate still another mode of sectionalizing and assembling the agitator-wringer mech'- anism.. While themechanism basically is shown to be substantially the same, distinctionwill be outwardly threaded 'rising ,portion a: adapted to' found in that the wringer post section'B and the Adrive Amechanism areshownfto be a pre-assembled or pre-manufactured unit ready to' be posi-v tioned upon Athe tub. i The free end of the gear casing is modied in that it terminates in an be positionedin ahole 84, so that a correspond ing. agitator arborsection 85 may capiand be screwed down upon the threaded portion 83;' A jack-member or jack screw is shown to be providedat 8,6 near the wrlnger post B upon the gear to stabilize the mounting if desired.

According to Fig. 10 a further division into com- Asaid arbor section and said post-like section unagitator being driven therethrough, and which vconstruction and the tub and cooperative with'y y 2,192,311 w in view of certain potential obstructions; that is` and 86o of the respective sub-sections. The nio? tor 86d' may be-considered asa separately dis- Y connectible body or else as a part Y. mountable together with sub-section Ca.

I claim: y 1. In a home washing machine of the oscillatin'g agitator type. in combination with a wash. tub provided. with'a hole in the bottom for the agitator being driven therethrough, and which` washtub is adapted for stationary mounting and for drain connection with the'house plumbing; an agitator actuating construction adapted yfor direct structural association with saidtub. which construction comprises an agitator arbor section arising within the tub and having agitator shafting oscillatable therein, a post-like section ex tending at the' outside from the bottom portion to the top,edge portion ofthe tub,;a transverse section extending between and connected4 with derneath the tub, saidactuatingv construction thus constituting a' substantially vUf-sliaped and substantially rigid structure, said transverse section having electro-motivated drive means for oscillating said agitator shafting in the tub by way of said hole in/the tub bottom, and disconnectible means for xing said actuating construction relative to the tub by way of-said hole in the tub` bottom; and means for iixing said post-like section relative tolthe tub, comprising an' upper jaw element engaging over the top edge portion and a lower Vclamping lelementv vertically spaced a distance substantially `the height Vof the. y

tub from said upper jaw element, and eil'ectivel in. conjunction therewithl to nx' said construction. gogh respect to an upright wall portion of the 2. In a -homewashing machine of the oscillating agitator type, in combination with a washtub provided. with a hole in the' bottom for the washtub is adapted for stationary .mounting and for drain connection 'with 'the house plumbing; an. agitator actuating construction adapted for direct structural association with said tub, which construction comprises an agitator arbor section n'sing within the tub and having agitator shafting oscillatable therein',l a section extending at the outside from the bottom portion to the top edge portion of the tub and having an anchor-'- ing portion extendingv ov'er the 'top edge of-the tub, a transverse section extending between and connected with said arbor section and said out` nside section underneathl the tub and having elec-v tro-motivated :drive means for oscillating said agitator shafting in the tub by way of said hole i in the tub `bottom. means for fixing said construction relative to the tub by way o1' said hole in the tub bottom, and'stabilizing means effective between the outer lower corner portion of the 'saidanchoring p ortion'in iixing'the construction with respect to the tub: l.

3: Ahome washing machine according to claim '2, in which' the stabilizing means comprise-.a bracing element adjustably connected `with said outer lower corner portion Vof the construction. 4. In a home washing rmachine of the oscillat- -ing agitator type, in combination with a washytub provided with a hole in the bottom tor the agitator being driven therethrough, and whichy 5s so civ washtub is adapted for' stationary and for drain connection with the house plumbing; an agitator actuating construction adapted for direct structural association with said tub, which construction comprises an agitator arbor section rising-within the' tub and having agitator shafting oscillatable therein,a motorized drive gear section connected with said arbor section for oscillating said agitator shafting by way of said vhole in the tub bottom,and extending towards the margin of the tub, and a clamping device connected with the free end of said driving section and having an upper and a lower clamping` jaw portion engaging over and under an upstanding wall portion of the tub.

5. In. a washing machine of the oscillating type. in combination with a washtub provided with a hole in the bottom for the agitator being e driven therethrough, andv which washtub is. adapted for stationary mounting and for drain verse section connected with the lower end portion o! said outside section and extending underneath the tub and having'a casing in which driving' elements operate, and having electro-motivating means for said drive elements, an oscilla- A tory member. driven by said driving elements and l disposed to be'eiiective by way of said hole in the tub bottom, disconnectible securing means provided to be eii'ective by way of said opening in the tub bottom between the tub bottom and said transverse section. stabilizing meansl cooperative 10 with said anchoring portion and effective between the outer lower corner portion of the tub and said agitator actuating construction for flx- .ing the intermediate portion thereof with respect to the tub, means eiective between said oscil- 1 latory member and said casing and adapted to prevent escape of water intothe casing, and an agitator member operatively connected with said oscillatory member.

6; Washing machine according .to claim 5. with zo the -addition ofa clutch device associated with said driving elements for controlling the'driving connection with said oscillatory member, and means disposed at either side of said transverse section and thereby operable for manipulating g5 .said clutch device optionally from either side of the transverse section.

max. 

